


sleep on me

by Flowerparrish



Series: winterhawk bingo [9]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Prompt Fill, bed sharing, implied PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 18:36:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21396805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flowerparrish/pseuds/Flowerparrish
Summary: It had become a Thing.When Nat or Steve—or Nat and Steve—was away from the tower, Bucky and Clint would sleep together.Just sleep—if there was such a thing as just sleep, just trust, for men like them.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton
Series: winterhawk bingo [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1439263
Comments: 29
Kudos: 264
Collections: Winterhawk Bingo





	sleep on me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hawksonfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawksonfire/gifts).

> For Arson - good job doing stuff. I'm proud of you. Have a smol fic. Ilu bro.
> 
> For my winterhawk bingo free space
> 
> For the prompt: I have constant nightmares and I’ve always had someone to cuddle with. Now, I realize we’re not on that level but you’re only one here and I’m really scared to go to sleep.

It had become a Thing.

When Nat or Steve—or Nat _and _Steve—was away from the tower, Bucky and Clint would sleep together.

_Just _sleep—if there was such a thing as _just _sleep, _just _trust, for men like them.

It started when they both found each other in the common living space. Bucky had settled into the couch so thoroughly that Clint thought he might melt into it; Clint was seeking coffee to keep him awake all night, and he’d run out on his floor.

He froze when he saw Bucky there, awake, and they’d blinked at each other for a few moments before Bucky held out his bowl of popcorn in offering.

Clint had accepted the offer, forgoing coffee for the moment, settling onto the couch next to Bucky instead.

Somehow, they’d fallen asleep there, sometime in the early hours of the morning.

Somehow, it became a thing they did, seeking each other out when Nat or Steve was gone.

“I can’t sleep alone,” Bucky had said. “I wake up and I think I’m back there.”

Clint can understand that. He doesn’t have the words to agree, to share his own experience.

Bucky’s eyes are knowing, though, when they meet his.

Eventually they stop sleeping on couches, which are too small for Clint’s height and Bucky’s bulk, and they share too-large beds in their tower rooms, the apartment of whoever’s counterpart is away.

It’s… easy. Closeness builds trust and intimacy between them; they start seeking each other out on hard days, or long days, or just because they’re bored.

Having a person there doesn’t always keep the nightmares at bay. But they learn what each other needs; Clint knows now that Bucky needs to be talked at, grounded, that he’ll rest his hand over Clint’s heart to feel it beating and remind himself he’s not alone; Bucky, in turn, will stay quiet, holding Clint until his shaking eases, breathing deep and even until Clint matches each breath with one of his own.

Clint starts to look forward to sharing a bed with Bucky; Nat is great, but… she’s not Bucky.

That’s the first hint that there’s _feelings _involved.

His first impulse is to run away from the feelings, break off this Thing and sabotage any chance of building something More.

That impulse is easily quashed by the knowledge that if he does, he’ll be alone.

His other options are to say something—which, no—or ignore the feelings and pretend they’re not there.

It’s hard, sometimes, when Bucky hands him a coffee with the perfect amount of milk and sugar, and their hands brush, and Clint wants to kiss him and never stop. But risking this thing between them on anything less than a certainty would be worse, harder, unforgivable—so Clint ignores it, smiles and thanks Bucky and says nothing else.

It’s never going to be Clint that makes the first move. But despite the amount of times their eyes catch and hold and there’s Something there between them, Clint doesn’t actually expect Bucky to make a move, either.

When Bucky kisses him one morning, cupping his jaw with a warm hand, Clint freezes for half a moment before melting into the touch.

“This okay?” Bucky asks, pulling away just far enough to whisper the words between them.

It’s exhilarating; it’s scary; it’s dangerous; it’s _good. _“Yeah,” Clint agrees, smiling and pressing that smile against Bucky’s answering smile in a not-quite kiss.

He’s never felt anything better.

“Took you long enough,” says a voice from behind them. They break apart, turn, and standing in the doorway of the kitchen are Steve and Natasha, arms folded over their chests.

“What?” Clint asks.

“Every date in the betting pool on you two has already passed,” Nat says. “You took even longer than _I _thought you would.” She looks distinctly disapproving.

“Uh… sorry?” Clint offers.

“Nah,” Bucky says. “Fuck you.” He doesn’t seem angry, though, rolling his eyes instead of glaring. “Did you start going on missions together on purpose?”

“Not at first.” Steve looks a little chagrined.

Clint rolls his eyes, too. “You couldn’t’ve just said something?” he asks Nat.

“No.”

“Well, okay then.” He looks to Bucky. “Let’s go back to bed,” he suggests. Bucky winks at him, and Clint chokes on a sip of coffee. “Not like _that,” _he protests, then pauses. “Or… like that?”

Bucky winks again and rises. “C’mon.”

Clint follows Bucky, coffee in one hand and Bucky’s hand in the other.

The End

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic of] Sleep on Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23956774) by [Flowerparrish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flowerparrish/pseuds/Flowerparrish)
  * [[Podfic] sleep on me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23977729) by [seleneaurora](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seleneaurora/pseuds/seleneaurora)
  * [sleep on me [Podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23998762) by [tinypinkmouse_podfic (tinypinkmouse)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinypinkmouse/pseuds/tinypinkmouse_podfic)
  * [[Fanmix for] Sleep on Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24076975) by [Flowerparrish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flowerparrish/pseuds/Flowerparrish)
  * [[podfic] sleep on me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24405112) by [reena_jenkins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reena_jenkins/pseuds/reena_jenkins)


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